Awww, we figured it might be, but were hoping for a torn muscle that might repair itself easier! Poor pooch - I know others here have dealt with this, was it his ACL (Anterior Cruciate Ligament) or other ones?

Back in 2011 my Zoee was diagnosed with a "possible" torn ACL. I did not want to do surgery, so I found a website that told how to heal it without surgery. It took over a year and my moms help but she is all better. She'll occasionally limp or her leg will shake but she is 9 years old now.
I actually left her with my mom for the entire year of 2012. For the first few months she was on strict limited activity. Only went outside to potty. Then she would go for short walks and also swam to help strengthen the muscle.

Let me see if I can find the thread where I posted the link and if I can post it here......tricky with my tablet.

Diagnosis: The diagnosis is made by your veterinarian and usually includes gait/lameness evaluation and manual palpation of the joint to assess instability and
severity of the injury. Your veterinarian may alsorecommend x-rays and possibly joint fluid analysis to further stage the injury. Radiographs are used to gauge the overall joint structure and secondary problems such as osteoarthritis rather than on the ligament or soft tissue injury itself.
Joint fluid analysis is used to identify inflammation and if present, whether it is high grade (acute), low grade (chronic) or infectious. For those who prefer a
definitive diagnosis of the severity of the injury diagnostic arthroscopy can be performed.
Diagnostics are almost always followed by surgical treatment of the injury if enough evidence of ACL injury is identified.

Treatments: Although the treatment of choice for an ACL Injury is usually surgery, treatment can range from conservative treatment to surgery depending on the cause, severity, size, age and lifestyle of the dog. Your veterinarian will help you decide the best approach for your dog. Initially, mild sprains can often
be managed conservatively.

Bichons are prone to ACL tears. I've not dealt with this myself, but know of many who have. Keep in mind that the above is an overall summary. I have never heard of a bichon having: analysis of joint fluid, arthroscopy; stem cell injections, or injections into the joint. Those are extreme treatments IMO.

So, you first need to phone the vet office and get more clarification as to which ligament is involved (anterior or cruciate), and find out the grade the vet suspects. You may need to have xrays done to determine this. Keep in mind anesthesia is usually required for xrays (dogs rarely want to be still!) and usually you want to have everything necessary done while the dog is 'under,' including surgery if needed, and even a dental! You don't want to have the dog under anesthesia once for xrays and then again the following week for the surgery.

Once you have all the information available at this time, then do some online research and make some decisions about how to proceed. You also want to read up on post surgery recovery; the dog needs to be crated for about 6 weeks as I recall, with limited activity during this time. You want to prep for that in advance.

Let us know what you learn, and feel free to post and ask more questions as they develop!

Limping dog

Thank you for the replies. Petey goes back to the vet on Wednesday to be sedated and x-rayed. I am having a hard time convincing my husband that surgery is a good possibility when Petey is still running around like he always has only three legged most of the time. He is convinced time will heal him. I just worry that because he is so young, ( 2yrs. Next month.) if it's not fixed now, it will cause more problems down the road.

We see this in the clinic *a lot*. We do the knee surgery repair at every clinic I've worked at. There are several methods... ranging from a TPLO to a tie-back. TPLOs should only be done by a board certified surgeon... but an experienced non-certified vet can perform the tie-back.

In all my years of being a tech, I've yet to see one "fail" due to the procedure itself... I have seen some fail due to owner non-compliance regarding post-op exercise restrictions (they were not restricting the dog's activity) so it is VERY, VERY important that you absolutely follow the restrictions... even if you think your dog is feeling better!!!!!!!

If you have the money and can afford it, absolutely do the surgery. If not, there are several therapeutic things you can do to keep the dog comfortable... but there is NO cure for a complete tear except for surgery. You may manage the symptoms and make the dog comfortable, but it will not heal. Partial tears have the potential to heal, but there is always a risk of it tearing again.

Another sad fact is that TYPICALLY if a dog blows one knee, they will blow their other knee eventually as well.

Limping dog

Petey is at the vet now for his sedated x-Ray. Can anyone give me some questions for the vet. I've read up on a lot of websites, I have a lot of questions, but I'd like the really important ones answered. Thanks

Is it a complete tear, or just partial? What are the options for surgery? What is the recovery like? How long would he need to be kept inactive? What kind of activities should I restrict for now? Would any kind of brace help in the meantime, or as an alternative?

Petey is home from the vet

Originally Posted by Karen

Is it a complete tear, or just partial? What are the options for surgery? What is the recovery like? How long would he need to be kept inactive? What kind of activities should I restrict for now? Would any kind of brace help in the meantime, or as an alternative?

Petey is home, and the vet said he doesn't need surgery. I have to do all the keeping him from running jumping and climbing stairs as much as humanly possible. But the vet said because he is such a small dog, under 20lbs. And he is already walking on it quite well, he doesn't think he needs surgery. I was a little concerned until he said if he was his dog He wouldn't do surgery on him, so I guess I'll cross my fingers and somehow try to keep a crazy little puppy calm

Well isn't this terrific news?~! If you don't have one, a nice sized crate with a comfy bed in it will help. Oh and maybe a playpen or dog pen, to keep him confined but able to move around. Just make sure it is sturdy (if it has a floor to it) as you want solid footing under him when he moves about. Check freecycle and craigslist FREE section, you just may find something.

A few long lasting chews will help now and then as well; just not a constant thing as they can cause constipation or diarrhea (depending which sort you get).